Conveyer.



- WIT/VERSSES c No. 779,465. PATENTED JAN. 10, 1905.

W. CARR.

CONVEYER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED JAN. 10, 1905.

W. CARR. GONVBYBR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

F W \r mg Q I N m m n w m 1 m hw w W ILWMQ mw A J m in-iii: L m H I. illI I AIR UNITED STATES Patented January 10, 1905.

PATENT OEEIcE.

CONVEYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,465, dated January10, 1905. Application filed August 4,1903. Serial No. 168,206.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, W ESLEY CARR, a subject of the King of England,residing at 274 New Chester road, Port Sunlight, in the county ofChester, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inor Connected with Conveyers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to conveyers for carrying boxes, bags, orthe like from the manufactory, wharf, or other place to avessel floatingin tidal water, a warehouse having several floors, or the like, wherethings have to be delivered at different heights at different times,-and is designed more especially for that system of conveyers in which acouple of endless chains propel an endless platform of moving rollers,these rollers or chains passing round sprocket-wheels or the like. Nowin order to enable a traveling conveyer of this sort to rise and fall atany given point from one end or through a part of its course Whilestationary at the other end I place at the point where the bend has totake place a stout framework. This framework has connected with it, oneither side, an adjustable guideblock, so as to guide the rollers orsprocketchains at the maximum travel upward, so as only to allow thechain to bend at this point. The return chain also has a similarguideblock on either side to guide it; but these guide-blocks oscillateon a spindle carried in bearings in the said frame. WVhenever the end ofthe movable part of the conveyer carrying the conveying-chains andsprocketwheels rises and falls about its pivot, the blocks oscillate tothe required amount, and thus the conveyer is allowed to bend to anyextent required, while the rollers are always maintained on theirtracks. It would, however, be impossible for the conveyer to bend inthis way if the girders or framework at the junction of the two portionsof the conveyer touched each other either at the top or bottom, while ifthey did not touch there would be a danger of the rollers falling intothe gap and sticking. In order to avoid this,

' I attach to the movable conveyer-framework or the fixed framework, asmay be most convenient, a thin blade of flexible steel, covering thehiatus and a small portion of the framework of the stationary part ofthe conveyer, and this is arranged both above and below. Consequentlythe rollers mount the thin blade and travel along it from the oneframeworkto the other. The rising and falling end of the movableframework is fixed on a float, pontoon, or other device, regulatedeither by the height of the water orby hydraulic or other means. In thecase of a seawall it is fixed on a tank or pontoon floating in the waterand guided by guides and guiderollers, so as to rise and fall in acurvilinear direction required by theangular motion of the end of themovable framework of the conveyer in order that undue stress may notcome upon the movable framework. The pontoon is supplied with waterballast, which may be admitted or expelled in any suitable way,according as the discharge-chute is to be raised or lowered. This chuteis connected with the end of the conveyer and is preferablycounterweighted by means of chains passing over pulleys on the tops ofpedestals or standards, counterweights being attached to the chains.

Drawings illustrating my invention are annexed hereto, in which- Figurel is a side sectional elevation of a conveyer of the kind hereindescribed comprising a stationary and a movable part and means forguiding the rollers or chains, while Fig. 2 is an end view of themovable part of the conveyer, drawn to an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 showsthe end of the movable part of the conveyer and parts connectedtherewith resting upon a pontoon in a tidal-way.

Referring now to the drawings, a generally designates a travelingconveyer of the type usually employed for transporting packages from oneplace to another, comprising a stationary part a and a movable part aand 6 designates rollers to which carrying-slats may be connected in anyknown suitable way. The rollers are actuated by means of endless chainspassing round sprocket or like wheels at either end of the conveyer a inthe usual manner.

0 represents the framework to which the adjustable guide-blocks (Z areconnected, these being mounted on the shaft 0, the means of adjustmentbeing by, say, abolt passing through a slot 0' on either side of theframework.

(Z' represents the oscillating guide-blocks firmly disposed upon thespindle or shaft f, carried in the bearings g of the frame a.

7L designates the thin blades of steel or other suitable flexiblematerial, which are provided for the purpose of bridging the hiatusformed between the stationary and movable parts a a of the conveyer aand over which the rollers pass from the one part of the conveyer to theother. In the construction shown these thin blades or strips h aredisposed within countersunk recesses provided for them in the girders iof the conveyer, being flush with the top of same. These steel strips /oare secured to the girders on the movable portion a of the conveyer inany convenient manner, or they may be secured to the stationary part a,and if it be necessary to hold them down in position on the girdersguides. formed by the projecting part 7' of the plate Z: and recessesformed in the girders at this part, may be provided, within which thestrips will slide backward and forward, according to the movement downor up of the movable part a of the conveyer. In some cases theseflexible strips may be placed directly on top of the girders at thepoint of junction of the stationary and movable parts, being beveled ateither end, so that the rollers will mount them easily and withoutshock.

As shown in the drawings, the upper and lower girders i on either sideof the movable part of the conveyer are connected together by the plate7 carried upon the spindle or shaft f, the girders resting within bedsprovided for them, as shown. As a modified construction, however, thegirders of the movable part of the conveyer may rest within beds formedby angle-irons, these being riveted to the plate 5;.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 3 of the drawings, the movableend part a of the conveyer is pivoted upon the shaft 8, which is carriedin brackets 25, secured to the pedestals or standards r (of which thereare two) by means of a bracket a, connected with each of the lowergirders z of the conveyer. The sides of the pontoon are provided withrollers m, which engage with a curved guiderod a on either side, (theserods being firmly attached to the walls of the dock,) whereby thepontoon is maintained in an upright position and a curvilinear motion isimparted to it on rising and falling and undue stress on the conveyerduring its angular motion being obviated.

A chute 0 is connected with the end' of the conveyer, the end of saidchute being connected with chains passing over the pulleys 2, one oneither standard r, the ends of the chains being connected w1thcounter-weights q, disposed within the standards 0' on either side ofthe chute and conveyer.

The mode of action is as follows: A vessel 8 to be loaded is brought tothe wharf. The pontoon Z, with its pedestals a, is fixed at the requiredheight relatively with the vessel .9 by admitting or discharging waterfrom the pontoon in any suitable known way and the chute is lowered downto the vessel 8. Boxes, bags, or the like are now placed on theconveyer, which is set in motion, and they travel along to the movablepart of the conveyer, whence they pass to the chute 0, down which theyslide toward the vessel 8. As the vessel .9 becomes gradually filled thechute is low ered by admitting water to the pontoon.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A conveyer of the kind herein described comprising a stationary and amovable part, the end of said movable part adjacent the stationary partbeing so formed and pivoted as to admit of the said movable part beingraised and lowered relatively to the stationary part, and guide-blocksdisposed at the junction of the stationary and movable parts, the upperblocks being fixed and the lower blocks adapted to oscillate with themovable part of the conveyer, for the purposes specified.

2. A conveyer of the kind herein described, comprising a stationary anda movable part, the end of said movable part adjacent the stationarypart being so formed and pivoted as to admit of the said movable partbeing raised and lowered relatively to the stationary part; guide-blocksdisposed at the junction of said stationary and movable parts,the upperblocks being fixed and the lower blocks adapted to oscillate with themovable part of the conveyer; and blades or strips of flexible materialadapted to bridge the hiatus between said stationary and movable parts,for the purpose specified.

3. In connection with conveyers having stationary and movable parts, theemployment in connection with the floating structure upon which the endof the movable part of the conveyer rests, of means as specified forguiding said pontoon when rising and falling for the purposes described.

I. A conveyer having a stationary part a and a movable part a pivoted atf, fixed guide-blocks (Z, and oscillating guide-blocks d, a framework gcarryingsaid guide-blocks; and flexible strips h, adapted to bridge thehiatus between said stationary and movable parts; substantially asdescribed.

5. In connection with a conveyer having a stationary and a movable part,a pontoon Z- having pedestals or standards 0' upon it, a shaft orspindle 8 carried in brackets t mounted on said standards; and bracketsit connected with the lower girders of the conveyer and it; a shaft orspindle 8 carried in brackets 25' mounted on said standards; brackets 16connected with the lower girders of the conveyer, and by which themovable part is pivoted to 1 the shaft 8; and a chute 0 connected bychains passing over pulleys p with counter-weights 51 disposed Withinthe hollow standards 9'; substantially as described.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twoWitnesses.

WESLEY CARR.

Witnesses: v

JOHN HINDLEY WALKER, ISABEL F. l/VALKER.

